Remember The Queen
by TheHarleyQueen
Summary: On the Isle of the Lost, there was one rule exalted above all others: Remember The Queen. When they forgot, she left to remind them. It set off a chain of events that left the mantra on the tongues and in the minds of people for centuries.
1. I

_**A/N: I don't own Descendants (2015, 2017) or Isle of the Lost. Have a oneshot based on Descendants 2, with more badass Mal. Cause she's, y'know, perfect and all. So Descendant 2 is amazing and I love it and no one can take that away from me, but the best thing is definitely the music.**_

 _ **Please review and favourite.**_

 _ **Whipped Cream & Other Delights,**_

 _ **TheHarleyQueen**_

' _Welcome!'_

' _Finally!'_

Sometimes, Ben _really_ didn't know what he'd gotten himself into when he'd brought the villain kids over from the Isle of the Lost. Most of the time, it was fine. _They_ were fine, there was no danger, no need to worry, no need to double check, to make sure, to hope that Mal hadn't gotten herself into any trouble. This was not one of those times. Uma cackled from her place on the ship and Harry's hook dug into his Adam's apple, and Mal stood on the docks, challenging a girl that seemed to be so much more _evil_ than Mal had ever been (because, deep inside, Mal had always wanted to be good, hadn't she? He'd always thought so). And Mal was so _calm_ like it didn't worry her, like the fact that this was a _hostage_ situation didn't even affect her. Her eyes glowed that bright green that meant power, that meant that she was _strong_ , and he was filled with a confidence. Mal knew what she was doing. She was _good_ , everything would be _fine_ , she wouldn't hurt Uma _or_ hand over the wand, she had a plan, and he loved her all the more for it.

' _Who's the baddest of them all? I guess we're finding out tonight!'_

Carlos and Lonnie stood behind her, and Jay and Evie stood behind them- _and why the Hell was Lonnie on the Isle? Why did so much happen when he was kidnapped?-_ but there was something... _different_ about the children of the villains. It wasn't just them being back to what they were when they first came to Auradon like they'd showed _him_ how to be when he first got here, it was _more_. They were darker, angrier. Evie didn't smile, but she was more beautiful than he'd ever seen her (and he'd nearly proposed to her the first time he'd seen her, so that was saying something). Jay's shoulders were thrown back, his jaw set, his arms crossed. He glared at Harry with a fierceness Ben had never seen, and he figured that there must be some sort of war between the two of them { _he way right, in a way. There had once been a war for dominance, angry kisses and clashing teeth, pain and power and bruises between the two of them, before Carlos_ }. Carlos was compact and tight, like a spring pushed to its limit, ready to jump into action at any time. He was fast, too, faster than Ben had ever seen (and he'd been Carlos's track coach). And they all deferred to Mal in a way he hadn't seen them do for a long, _long_ time. The Isle of the Lost brought back something in them, and he wasn't sure it was all too _good_.

' _We want the wand, or else the King is gone.'_

 _The purple hair really suited Mal_ , he thought as he was pushed further towards the end of the plank, _it would probably look better if she looked more phased by that threat_. He loved her, but she looked like she didn't even _care_ if he died, and that _terrified_ him. And the changes in her was a combination of the changes in all the other VKs. She was more beautiful, like Evie, an ethereal gorgeousness that she'd never let lose in Auradon. She was stronger, like Jay, harder and she looked like she would _kill_ you if you looked at her wrong { _god, she was hot_ }. She was tenser, like Carlos, ready for something, for someone, for what would happen next. She was _fierce_ , _raw_ _power_ , and he loved it. This was _his_ Mal, as she hadn't been… since his coronation.

 _Everyone shied away from her._ He noticed that too, somewhere in the back of his mind. Not Evie, Carlos, or Jay, of course, but even Lonnie and Uma didn't get too close before scurrying off again. She was furious, she was a _dragon_ { _the dragon shall rise again_ } and she was _fire_ , and there was nothing that would hold her back, not even the barrier that separated the Isle of the Lost from Auradon.

' _Okay look, this is not a conversation.'_

There was a reaction that ran through the pirates at that, though it was hardly a second. Shock visibly crossed their faces, and some held back actual _terror_. Ben wondered what had happened to make them have that sort of reaction to _Mal_ {" _This is not a conversation!" A faerie towered over a girl with light blue hair, "You touched my people. You hurt_ _ **my**_ _allies. That doesn't happen." She stood up and glanced around, and a cruel smile crawled onto her face, "From now on, Daughter of Ursula, you're confined to the docks, with your crew. I don't have to tell you what will happen if you disobey me, do I?" She didn't even stay to watch the other girl's reaction, just bent over and picked up another girl, with skin as pale as snow, whose once-white dress was completely red with blood. "Good."_ }.

' _So that's your "big speech", huh? An empty ultimatum?'_

It looked like Harry was going to try say something, but Mal's eyes flared green and behind her, Evie laughed. Then everything happened at once.

' _Not. Empty.'_

 _The wand was obviously a fake_ , Ben realised, _because Mal wasn't using it. And she definitely wasn't against using magic to her benefit._ She threw a punch, and it hit Uma so hard the girl fell backwards and was sent sprawling to the floor. Everyone froze, but Jay smiled, _proud_ of Mal. What were the Descendants like before he brought them over to Auradon? Did he even know who they really were?

Harry helped Uma back up, but everyone stayed where they were. Well, other than Mal, who walked up onto the ship, _visibly_ furious. She climbed on the port railings and grabbed a rope. Everyone watched her, silent. Jay, Evie and Carlos went to stand underneath her, arms crossed, smugs sirks adorning their faces. Lonnie stayed where she was. Then Mal started to speak.

' _Maybe you've forgotten how things_ _ **work**_ _around here._ _ **We**_ _run the Isle. You answer to_ _ **us**_ **.** _You thought my mom was scary?_ _ **I**_ _turned her into a_ _ **lizard**_ _. You're nothing, Uma, and I'll_ _ **never**_ _answer to you._ _ **Without**_ _the wand, I'm more powerful than you could ever be_ _ **with**_ _it. You're_ _ **pathetic**_ _, you're_ _ **nothing**_ _, you're_ _ **weak**_ _. You've always been. Ben?'_ she started, fondness colouring her tone, ' _Ben's_ _ **mine**_ _. Ben's mine the same way Evie, Carlos and Jay are mine. The same way the_ _ **Isle**_ _is mine. And you_ _ **don't. Touch. What's. Mine!**_ '

Ben had never seen the kind of fear that haunted Uma's eyes when Mal freed him, but he just smiled. He was the sweet to Mal's bitter. And so he wouldn't do anything to Uma, but he wouldn't stop Mal either (her possessiveness was _gorgeous_ ). All the VKs did was lead him back to the pipe (so _this_ was what was on the other end. Well, they weren't wrong when they said he didn't want to know. Mall turned back once more before they left the docks entirely, and the smile that spread across her face was ravishing.

' _I'll be visiting soon. It seems that my kingdom has gone to Hell, and that I have to pull it out myself. Let everyone know. Their_ _ **Queen**_ _will return, and they'd better be ready for me.'_

* * *

Back in Auradon, in his room, after the Royal Cotillion, they lay chest to chest on his bed. They were kissing, but it wasn't like before, because Mal _loved_ him, and also she'd let go of that desperation to be and Auradon girl, and _kissed_ more like the Isle of the Lost, and their kisses were harsh and strong, yet sweet at the same time. And he smiled against her lips, ' _Queen of the Isle, huh? Thought you didn't want a title.'_ She pulled back, but not out of anger. They were so _perfect_ now, in this moment, that she didn't think that _anything_ could anger her.

' _My mother ruled the Isle of the Lost, I suppose. But I'm the one who looked after it. Made sure they didn't kill kids, made sure no one messed with someone they couldn't handle, made sure everyone had food. They started referring to me as their queen when my mother wasn't in the room, and it just… stuck.'_

' _I think it's amazing. I knew you were good from the moment I met you, but you're not just good. You're_ _ **great**_ _.'_


	2. II

_**A/N: I don't own any Descendants media. So, Remember the Queen got such overwhelming support that I actually felt guilty for making it a oneshot. Look what you people have done to me. So enjoy more (cannon) dark!Descendants fics.**_

 _ **As alwyas, please review, favourite, and message me with any questions.**_

 _ **Whipped Cream & Other Delights,**_

 _ **TheHarleyQueen**_

Mal stared out over the Isle of the Lost. All the buildings were torn and shattered, the remnants of a faerie's anger settling. The dust that had previously coated the houses and businesses was still floating in the air, catching on invisible currents. She was _done_ , with Auradon and balls and Ladies' Teas and whatever other _shit_ Ben thought was necessary for her to attend. After all, she… _liked_ the boy, but she wasn't built for the politics of Auradon. She'd learnt how they worked, sure. The school of the Isle had a strict syllabus, teaching everything a VK could want to know about politics, about the moves of the Royals, about court { _know thy enemy_ }.

Mal hadn't ever needed any of that { _she'd needed it_ _ **more**_ _than the others, but Maleficent had made sure, a long time ago, that her daughter knew_ _ **everything**_ _she'd need, as Heir to the Moors, Princess of the Isle, future Queen of Auradon (like Mal would be anything less), as a Scion of the House of Magick_ }. Mal had known _everything_ , but it hadn't been enough, to know. She would've had to be _raised_ in it, the way Audrey was, the way Ben was, the way Jane was.

She was **so** glad she hadn't been.

* * *

 _Curl Up & Dye_ was always dirty. There was always hair lying around, even though Dizzy worked 24/7 to get rid of it. And it always smelled faintly of blood { _not such a big deal on the Isle of the Lost_ }. Dizzy Tremaine was the only one still up when Mal walked in, sweeping, sweeping, sweeping. Mal hadn't **ever** heard someone scream as loud as Dizzy had when she'd asked for a makeover (and Mal had made more than her fair share of people scream { _Uma, shrieking in pain, begging for forgiveness, saying she_ _ **didn't mean it**_ _. Bullshit._ }).

And then Harry Hook walked in, taking _Dizzy_ 's money { _and Dizzy was one of_ _ **Mal's**_ _, because Dizzy was_ _ **Evie's**_ _, and Evie would_ _ **kill**_ _Harry if she found out what was happening. She'd break down the barrier out of sheer_ _ **fury**_ _alone_ }, and Mal just _smiled_ , because Harry was _perfect_ to spread word of her return, and he _couldn't_ hurt her without _permission_ { _Harry was always a_ _ **follower**_ _, and it was kinda hot, 'cause he always willing to listen to her, to take instructions, to_ _ **submit**_ }. And _fury_ welled up in Mal, and she had to _breathe,_ _ **breathe**_ , because the last time she was this angry she'd turned her own mother into a lizard, and what, _what_ would she do to this man that nobody cared about, that _she_ didn't care about, that none of her _crew_ cared about- except that wasn't true, _because there was Jay and Harry, kissing, kissing, before Jay had seen what was always right in front of him {_ _ **Carlos**_ _}, and then there was the two of them, under sheets and in back alleys, fury and passion lending them strength, lending them magick, and_ _ **faeries always cared too much**_.

" _Just wait until Uma hears you're back."_

And that hook was just _amazing_ , and she remembered the point pushing into her neck as pleasure coursed through her body, and that was pure _power,_ pure pleasure, the best thing available on the Isle of the Lost. And she remembered duels, and _how many times had she stolen that hook from him, held it to_ _ **his**_ _throat_? But there was something different about him this time { _the desire, the_ _ **spark**_ _still flared between the two of them, but he lacked the look of utter_ _ **devotion**_ _from before. How boring_ }.

"Gil finally put out?" She asked, and smirked at the terror and _anger_ that flashed through his eyes, because _she_ of all people knew how devoted he became, how _deeply_ he fell in love, and now she knew the one thing he'd _die_ for { _he wouldn't die for Uma, because he knew what Mal would say about that (_ _ **no one on the Isle would die for Uma**_ _) but for Gil, for Gil he'd kill and die and_ _ **hurt**_ _, because it was_ _ **Gil**_ _\- how could he_ _ **not**_ _?_ }

{" _Jay finally put out?" She asked, and when harry froze, terrified of what she'd do to him for touching what was_ _ **hers**_ _, she smiled, "Oh, I don't mind. Gets rid of the fucking sexual tension between Carlos and Jay, if he's fucking other people, y'know?" Mal leaned in close, then, and whispered to the boy who was betraying Uma just by standing (_ _ **kneeling**_ _) in front of the faerie, "But I hope you know, he'll never love you. He'll leave you as soon as he figures out that Carlos wants him too. You'll be left behind because you'll never measure up to Carlos." {_ _ **She was right. Six days later, Jay told him to fuck off, to never touch him again**_ _}. Mal grinned, and it stretched across her face and traced his face with the hand that wore an_ _ **iron**_ _ring. She leaned in real close, and put his hand to her breast, "Do you wanna touch me?"_

 _No one ever said no to the undisputed_ _ **queen**_ _of the Isle.}_

" _I could hurt you."_

He wouldn't. Harry's emotions ran deep and wild where Uma couldn't feel anything, and he might not _love_ Mal, but he knew he was _hers_ { _not the same way_ _ **Evie**_ _or_ _ **Carlos**_ _or_ _ **Jay**_ _was hers, but the way she would own a_ _ **pet**_ _. And he'd stay hers, because Gil was_ _ **his**_ _, and that made Gil hers, and Mal protected what was hers_ } and he knew how to follow her commands.

And then Mal leaned in real close, and put her hands on either side of his face, and pulled him in. It was memories and history and all their times together came running through his head as fast as lightning, and he responded, because _what else was he supposed to do_? _**No one ever said no to the undisputed Queen of the Isle.**_ She held him tight and kissed him hard, biting down on his lower lip, fiercer than Gil could ever be, reminding him that _she wasn't his lover, he was_ _ **hers**_ _, and she_ _ **owned**_ _him._ When she let go, he pulled away, ashamed { _Gil, Gil,_ _ **Gil**_ _was his and he was_ _ **Gil's**_ _and he was a traitor and an adulterer_ } and aroused { _memories of heat, of passion, of secret nights in Maleficent's palace and being pushed against alley walls_ }.

"Please, _do_ let Uma know I'm back. And I'll be taking everything I left behind." She paused and laughed, a beautiful and ugly sound, joy lining her lips, and snatched the money from him, "Even that sandbox. Remind her that the Isle is **mine**. That her ship is **mine**. That the King is **mine**."

"Remind _dear_ Uma that her first mate? Is _**mine**_."


	3. III

**_A/N: You guys have ruined me, because I'm supposed to be working on the Seven Deadly Sins, but I keep getting_ ideas _based on cannon, qnd this is the only place I can put them, goddamnit. But thanks as well, because at least I'm writing and not procrastinating 3. I hope you enjoy this piece, based on the best song in Descendants 2._**

 ** _Whipped Cream & Other Delights,_**

 ** _TheHarleyQueen_**

 _'Let me tell you something you can really trust._

 _Everybody's got a wicked side.'_

When Evie, Jay and Carlos stepped onto the Isle, they immediately _changed_. Not the way they'd changed when they'd come to Auradon- _false smiles and stretched grins_. This change was _real_ , palatable. They moved more… _sensually_ , if that was the word for it. Ben didn't know you _could_ act the way the three of them did, not really. The dominated space, stood taller, glared fiercer, and stayed closer. It was nothing Ben had ever seen before-

 _That wasn't true._ Mal, _Mal_ sometimes did it when Audrey really annoyed her, or when _another_ advisor was _advising_ him against her. Suddenly, her touches would linger, her kisses would _bruise_ his lips { _but Mal never meant it, always sent him flowers and chocolates as an apology, **because she was guilty, guilty, so guilty, hated turning pure Ben into a symbol, the way she did with people on the Isle of the Lost.**_ }.

They walked through the marketplace, tattered rags and broken stalls and dirty children everywhere, and Ben was _shocked_ , because he hadn't known that a place like this still existed { _he figured that when they'd gotten rid of the villains, all suffering went away **in reality, it followed the villains, and then their children**_ } and there were kids who were stealing like they'd been _raised_ to do it, _like it was as natural to them as breathing, as walking, and **how was that even possible?**_

And then two boys had tried to rob Evie, and she'd _caught_ them. For a second, pure _rage_ filled her eyes, and Ben was terrified that she'd really **_hurt_** these children { _poor Evie, sweet Evie, Doug's girlfriend, who'd never shown any Isle tendencies the way Mal had **sometimes he thought his parent might have liked it better if he'd chosen Evie to court**_ } but then she looked so _sad_ , and scary Evie was gone, and she let them go. But not before leaning down and placing a firm kiss on each of their foreheads- and turning around furiously, _glaring_ at the onlookers, as if to make sure she had witnesses for the event. _Ben had witnessed it, alright, but he had no idea what was happening._

 _'You need a whole lot of help._

 _You need to not be yourself.'_

When he asked about it, Carlos's answer didn't really make sense {' _On Auradon, you guys kiss to show love for each other, right? An overwhelming, true passion that no one could ever take away?' When Ben nodded, Carlos smirked, 'You'll never get that, on the Isle, so kissing evolved into something else, something completely apart from sex. It's a brand, a symbol of ownership. **A claiming**.' Ben just frowned, and Carlos shook his head, 'You'll never understand, not after being raised in Auradon. But on the Isle, kissing is **still** overwhelming passion, but it's not true love. You feel me?'_

 _'Mal's loved and claimed a lot of people in her time, Ben. She didn't want you to know, but you're here now, and you'll find out anyway.'_

 _'On the Isle, you look after your own. And you **mark** them with a kiss. They don't mean much, here, but **they also mean everything.'**_ }

 _'You look like you would lose a fight to an alleycat-_

 _You gotta be wrong to get it right 'round here.'_

They were _trying_ to teach him, sure, but they weren't teaching him what they knew, they were teaching him as if from a _handbook_ , a guide. Because no one would ever shy away from him the way they did from them { _They crowded him, coming in too close. A newbie on the Isle. **A newbie on the Isle of the Lost, back with the first three, and under their protection. A fucking miracle. Uma would be pissed**_ }. And the Isle of the Lost was so different, and he kept losing his wallet. _Why had he brought the ridiculous thing anyway?_ Jay was trying to teach him to pickpocket, and Evie was trying to teach him to _smile_ , and Carlos just stood back, watching, smirking, like he knew- _Ben would never be part of the Isle, would never fit in._

Then Evie froze, and started checking his jacket sleeves, near the shoulders. Panicking. And she gestured to Carlos, who plucked a threaded needle from his belt, and just _handed_ it to her. And then she started sewing, frantically, and he didn't understand, _what the hell was going on_. { _Evie was sewing a crest into the sleeve, a crest, and under that, the word **Havoc** , and Ben asked Carlos, but Carlos just showed him the same crest on his sleeve, and a similar one on Jay's. Just an Isle thing, Ben thought. But it was so much more. **There were Four Houses on the Isle, and everyone over thirteen belonged to one. You looked after your House, above all else.**_ }

 _'If you want it, take it._

 _And if you can't take it, **break** it.'_

 _Somehow_ , Ben hadn't ever really put it all together. He knew Jay stole things, knew that the boy was always struggling with the impulse to just take and take and _take_ , but he'd never considered that that had been the only way Jay had ever gotten _anything_. He saw, sometimes, how Carlos stocked up on food in the cafeteria, saw all of them clean their plates _spotless_ , saw them pick up as many non-perishables ( _and sometimes perishables_ ) as possible, and carry them back to the rooms. He'd never thought that it might be because they were used to _not having anything_. He'd seen Evie, sometimes, hanging around boys that weren't _him_ , or _Carlos_ or _Doug_ { _her boyfriend_ }, flirting and batting her eyelashes and asking for stuff, and he'd seen how those boys would just _give_ _anything_ to her, especially when they saw Jay, standing nearby, glaring, _making sure they gave Evie something { **making sure those boys didn't hurt Evie, his sister in all but blood** }_.

Somehow, Ben hadn't understood that they had _nothing_ on the Isle, and what they had? _They took by **brute force**._

' _He's right, we gotta stay low-key._

 _Now show us how bad you can be!'_

They made him show them what he'd learnt, but they just _smiled_ all the while. A condescending, _look-he's-trying_ smile, and Ben _hated_ it, because this was what they'd shown him, and it still wasn't good enough for them. And in that moment, when he'd felt that, _he understood everything on the Isle of the Lost_. But then the feeling faded, and he was just _confused_ and _tired_ , and all he wanted to do was sleep, but Evie's eyes sparkled with something _new_ , and he'd passed a test.

Then they met Gil.

For a second, Ben figured he was straight-up _doomed_. This was the son of the guy his parents had _nearly killed_ , this man had been raised to _hate_ him, _hate everything he stood for_ , in a way Evie, Carlos and Jay hadn't. But when they spoke to Gil, Ben figured he wasn't exactly _smart_ , so to speak. Figured that the fact that they were children of _sworn enemies_ wouldn't mean as much to Gil as it had to Mal and Audrey.

{ _It's a brand, a symbol of ownership. A claiming. That's what Carlos had said to him. And on the Isle, you claimed everything you could, especially what you **hated** above all else, because then it was **yours** and it was **weak** , and you'd won, **because what fun was killing your enemy when you could own them?**_ } So really, it wasn't even that much of a shock {not to Carlos, to Jay, to Evie} when Gil, son of Gaston, pushed Ben { _son of The Beast_ } up against a wall, hard and fast, and pushed their mouths together, sliding his knee up between Ben's legs, holding two of Ben's hands in one of his own, using the other hand to push against the King's throat, kissing him fiercely, _kissing him to claim_.

 _'Yeah, once you catch this feeling,_

 _You'll be chillin' { **chillin'** } chillin' like a villain.'_


	4. IV

' _This is all hands on deck._

 _Calling out to lost boys and girls.'_

Ursula's Fish and Chips had an air to it. Everything smelled of brine and raw fish, and the customers had no concept of patience, and the servers had no concept of customer-friendly. In short, the place was a mess. But Uma stayed, and she served fish and chips, and she laughed and terrorised with Harry and Gil because _that Demon Bitch_ had banished her to the docks, and to her ship { _at least she got to keep her ship_ }. But Uma stayed, because she wasn't as _bad_ as Mal, wasn't as _strong_ as Mal, wasn't as _pretty_ or as _scary_ or as _magick_ as Mal.

' _I'm getting tired of the disrespect._

 _We won't stop till we rule the world.'_

* * *

" _I'm the Queen of the Castle!"_

" _You're not! There are no castles on the Isle!"_

" _You're a liar!" The fae girl shrieked, "You're just like your mom! She was a liar and a_ _ **fake**_ _, that's what_ _ **my**_ _mom says! She wasn't even a_ _ **real**_ _villain! And_ _ **I**_ _live in a castle, so you're wrong!" {_ _ **There was a chance that that was true. The blue-haired girl rarely left the docks.**_ _}_

" _Well, your mom is a has-been, so I don't know why you listen to her_ _ **nonsense**_ _!"_

" _ **My**_ _mom put a girl to sleep for a_ _ **thousand**_ _years!"_

" _And_ _ **my**_ _mom nearly enslaved the Princess of the Sea!"_

" _Ha! Nearly!_ _ **Nearly**_ _! My mom did!"_

" _But you haven't done_ _ **anything**_ _! So stop being so mean!"_

" _Aww… is Shrimp-girl scared? Gonna go cry to mommy?"_

" _Nice one, Mal! Ha, you're shrimpy!"_

" _SHRIMPY! SHRIMPY!_ _ **SHRIMPY!**_ "

" _One day, I'll be the Queen! I'll rule the world! And then you'll all be sorry!"_

" _And on that day, I'll marry the Prince of Auradon!"_

* * *

' _I'm the queen of this town_

 _I call the shots, you know who I am_

 _I don't need to wear no fake crown'_

Mal's crown was shiny and perfect- made of silver and gems { _on crowns they hung the dragon fire_ } that were purple and shone with Maleficent's dragon fire. There was also gold and blue- Auradon and the Isle, coming together at last. The centerpiece, though, was something of glory. It was a _shooting star_ , caught by an Auradonian and gifted to the Crown { _and light they caught, to hide in gems_ } and that was Mal _, that_ was Mal's legacy, her power, her strength.

Uma had a crown, too. Although it was harder to see. She wore her captain's' hat like a crown, and it was her symbol of power { _but hats can tear, and crowns never will. Uma's crown lay trampled in the dirt of the Isle of the Lost, while Mal's crown was passed on from mother to daughter for generations and generations to come_ }.

' _And leaving us here_

 _Will be their last regret'_

Ursula's Fish and Chips had an air to it. Everything smelled of brine and raw fish, and the customers had no concept of patience, and the servers had no concept of customer-friendly. But when Uma danced and screamed and _kissed_ and fought in the shop, it felt different. One-of-a-kind. Uma and Harry and Gil made Ursula's Fish and Chips something more than _evil_. They gave it life and passion. And Harry and Gil sometimes helped serve customers, but Uma liked it best when they just _laughed_ { _and that's why Uma would never be Queen of the Isle_ , _because she was too soft where Mal was rough edges and_ _ **possession**_ }.

But she was still so _angry_ , because they hadn't even considered that _she_ could be an Auradon _lady_ , because even though Mal had hurt and maimed and _whored herself around_ and _killed_ , she would still always be the best in the eyes of Auradon. She wanted Mal to come _back_ , because then they'd at least be on equal footing to _fight._

But when Mal came back, it wasn't like Uma wanted. It was _terrible_ , because Mal just _assumed_ that she could take back the Isle, that she'd be the Queen again { _and Mal was_ _ **right**_ _, and that was the worst part of all of this, because she just walked back in, and took over, and left Uma_ _ **nothing**_ _, and then she_ _ **left again**_ _. To be the fucking Queen of Auradon, deserting her people_ } and _how dare she_ , the Isle was Uma's. And Mal walked in and took Harry for her own { _and by extension, Gil_ } and took Dizzy to Auradon, and left Uma with _nothing. Like always._

Uma had, **Once Upon A Time** , dreamed of revenge, had dreamed of taking Auradon by storm, her first mate by her side. Had dreamed of sitting on Belle's throne, had dreamed of setting her mother _free_. Mal stopped all of that, because she _left_ Uma without anyone to rely on { _but Uma had taken what was_ _ **hers**_ _, had touched_ _ **Ben**_ _, and so_ _ **what did she expect**_ _?_ }

' _You know what they say,_

 _Bad girls have all the fun!'_

And then, Mal came in, challenging her, and _Uma won!_ She got to be a Lady of the Court, Ben's bride-to-be-to-be, and she'd be loved and _adored_ like Mal was, because Mal did the _exact same thing_. Except for true love, and the fight in the ocean, and _at least she got away_ { _because she was real fucking close to being Maleficent, locked up in a tank, kept safe and 'loved', but really just kept from ever returning to her true self, to her_ _ **home**_ }.

Mal would always be _better_ , there was no way to change that, and her name would be in the history books, not as Maleficent's Daughter, but as proof of the _triumph_ of _good_. And no one ever even remembered Uma { _nothing more than a footnote in the history of Mal, Queen of the Isle and of Auradon, Uniter of Two Worlds, Destroyer of Evil, The One Who Changed Our Past_ } her name was lost to time.

' _You know what my name is!_

 _Say it, say it louder!_

 _{_ _ **Uma!**_ _}'_


	5. V

" _We had a date, Ben."_

"I know, I know. And I'm so sorry I missed it. I've been under so much fire recently," he dragged his fingers down his face, "but that's not really an excuse, Mal. I'm so sorry. I won't miss a date again."

Mal was sitting in his chair, playing with the wisps of magick that just seemed to gravitate towards her, that brought itself into existence just by being near her. Her hair was back to purple and her eyes were bright green, and she wore her leather jacket proudly. And he was so proud of her.

The court was worried that Mal was dangerous because she could turn into a dragon. And he'd been defending her day and night, trying to placate everyone without bringing her into the court (she might be a Lady of the Court, but until they were married, she wasn't required to be at every meeting) { _just as well. She wouldn't have gone_ }.'

"Ben, sweetheart, I'm not mad. Or disappointed." Her eyes were wide and honest, and she smiled brightly at him, "I know what it's like to run a kingdom. Speaking of which-" he cut her off with a kiss. They were better than ever after Cotillion, and the fact that there were no secrets between them anymore helped. He could feel her smiling under his lips, but when he tried to respond she pulled back.

She ran a hand through her locks, "Ben. As much as I want to do this- and believe me, I do- I'm here on business. I was going to talk to you about this on our date, but it's desperately urgent." She smiled nervously and batted her eyelashes a few times. Ben chuckled and sat himself down in her place, gesturing to the seat in front of him for her to sit.

"Ben, the Isle seriously needs some stuff. Like, it's not terrible, but the water isn't always clean and school sucks- I mean, not like Auradon Prep sucks, like there's no education standards or anything kind of sucks. And, and," she broke off, realisation crossing her face, "Ben, I have to go back," Ben didn't hear anything after that. _They'd just gotten her back. He thought she was finally happy here, but it didn't seem like it anymore._ When he brought himself back to the conversation, she was still going strong, "...I was basically the law enforcement. I mean, between Evie, Carlos, Jay and me, we practically ran the Isle. I'll even- I don't know? Get someone elected, officially and everything. And I'll have to go back every now and then to help them out. But Ben, the Isle needs major funding. And housing. And water and healthcare. I know it's important to bring as many kids over as possible, Ben. but no one deserves to be brought back from the dead to live in squalor. They can't die there, Ben, but they can't live either."

She looked him dead in the eyes, "At least let them try to rehabilitate themselves."

"Mal, I can't agree to this. Losing you again? I can't. Mal, I'm in love with you, but this is one thing I can't do for you."

"But you're not doing it _for_ me, Ben! You're doing it for your subjects- for my subjects! They're people too, despite what the _heroes_ want to believe!" They were both standing now, shouting at each other.

"Watch your tone, Mal! Those _heroes_ you hate so much are my family!"

"And those _villains_ are mine. I've never tried to defend them, to say they did the right thing. But they're my family. Everyone on the Isle, even though they hate me! Ohana, Ben means family. Family means no one gets left behind!"

"Except me!" He roared, his voice making the furniture shake, "I'll get left behind, because you'll have **your** people and **your** Isle and **your** subjects, and Evie and Carlos and Jay, and I'll just have Auradon. I can't lose you again Mal! I nearly _died_ the last time that happened!"

"Because you came looking for me!" Her chest was heaving and her eyes were flashing. But he couldn't stop himself from throwing the last punch.

"And maybe I shouldn't have!"

Mal flinched back, shocked. The Queen of the Isle may stand strong in front of her people, but she too will break with enough pleasure, "You're not losing me, Ben." When she spoke, he could hear the tears on her vocal chords, "I'm losing you. My Ben would make sure that all his people were safe and fair, even if it meant he had to sacrifice my company once a month."

Her voice broke at the end of her sentence, but that wasn't what caught his attention, " _Once a month_?"

"Yeah, Ben. That's what I said. _Ben, I have to go back. At least once a month. I have to look after them_. What did you- did you- did you think I was leaving?" there was hope echoing in her eyes, and she slowly began creeping closer to him.

"Mal, I _just_ lost you to the Isle. When you said that you had to go back, I forgot anything else. Of _course, I_ want the people of the Isle safe," he enveloped her in a hug, "but I want you safe more. They hate you over there, Mal. I'll help you in any way I can, but you have to promise to be safe."

Their foreheads were pressed together, and she chuckled, her laugh watery, when she told him, "You're so dumb sometimes, my King."

He smiled down at her and held her closer, "I could say the same to you, _your majesty_."

Mal just sealed their lips together in a searing kiss.


	6. VI

Ten years later, _Mal, Queen of the Isle and of Auradon_ sat on her throne, proud { _it was nothing like her_ _ **old**_ _throne, nothing like the broken chair from the Isle of the Lost that sat at the end of the Court of the Isle of the Lost (never used, not until her), the seat with a crown carved into its head, the crest of magick just below it_ }. She was listening to the peoples' complaints, something that she had been doing her whole life. Her husband was in his office, doing paperwork (the relocation of _all_ citizens of the Isle of the Lost to Auradon took up all his time, and so Mal had taken over his other duties in the meantime).

It had been a long time coming, the relocation. After Maleficent's death, five years ago, there's been no _true_ villains left { _being brought back from the dead had taken a toll on their bodies, and it had taken nearly thirty years, but all the villains had eventually succumbed to their old age_ } and Mal had officially petitioned her husband to disband the Isle of the Lost { _the petition was something of glory. Nearly thirty pages, double-sided, in Times New Roman 12 pt with single line spacing. Ben's jaw had just about dropped to the floor when she'd presented it_ }. It had taken hours of arguing and debating, but eventually, she'd won, and Ben had officially announced his intention to disband the Isle of the Lost completely.

Mal grinned thinking about it and caught Evie's eye.

Evie always stood next to the throne, come hell or high water. She'd never married, and was _happy_ like that, preferring to spend her years advising Mal and Ben, bouncing all of Jay and Carlos's many children on her knee, tutoring Mal and Ben's daughters, raising foster kids. She'd been given the title of Advisor to Queen of the Isle at seventeen, seconds after the Cotillion, and she'd _excelled_ in the position. Mal didn't know what she'd do without her.

Like now. She'd lost focus, but Evie knew exactly what was needed, and leaned over to give mal a solution to the problem she hadn't been listening to (in Mal's defence, this didn't happen often, but it was past six in the evening, and this was the last petition for the day, and Mal wanted to see her daughters).

She smiled at her old friend and repeated the suggestion word-for-word, and watched as the petitioner's face lit up. She waited for them to leave the chamber before exchanging a fond glance with Evie and standing from the throne, stretching. Gallantly, Evie offered her arm, and Mal took it, giggling, pressing a kiss to Evie's cheek { _Mal had never fallen out of the habit of claiming the people who were hers, but she'd grown more subtle about it_ }. The two of them left the throne room, discussing Jay and Carlos's toddler, Aalya. She was turning two, and beautiful, with dark hair and skin. She had Carlos's brains and Jay's personality, they joked, and she'd be a heartbreaker.

When they reached the royal wing, Evie left Mal, turning instead to go to the East Wing, where she stayed. Mal went straight to her husband's study but didn't immediately enter. Rather, she leaned against the doorframe, watching as he rocked Hermione while muttering about relocation funds. Her youngest was definitely a daddy's girl, refusing to be calmed down unless she was in her father's arms.

On the wall above Ben's desk was three crests, forming a triangle. The crest of Havoc at the top left, the crest of Magick at the top right, and Auradon crest in the centre, at the bottom. Mal had been shocked when Ben commissioned it, but now she couldn't imagine it any other way.

Her eldest, Lorelei, was sitting cross-legged on the floor, leaning over her homework. Mal couldn't _believe_ that her daughter was turning _nine_. She and Ben had married right out of high school { _at eighteen, as expected of royals, but truly, Mal couldn't imagine_ _ **not**_ _doing it_ } and she'd gotten pregnant with Lorelei in the same year. But she loved her daughter with all her heart, she thought as she watched her family, and wouldn't have it any other way.

Something must have alerted Ben to her presence, though, because he looked up at caught her eye, shooting a radiant smile in her direction. He leaned down to Lorelei and whispered something in her ear, and her daughter shot up, running over to wrap her arms around Mal's middle and squeeze her tight. Mal grinned and hugged her back.

 _This is all I could ask from in life_.

* * *

 _Centuries later, Mal, Queen of the Isle and of Auradon, Uniter of Two Worlds, Destroyer of Evil, The One Who Changed Our Past was remembered as a hero, and as a kind woman. Her mother would have been horrified, her mother-in-law would have been overjoyed._

 _Centuries later, her husband, Ben I, King of the Isle and of Auradon, was remembered as a hero, and as a kind man. His mother would have been overjoyed, his mother-in-law would have been horrified._

 _Their line stayed on the throne of Auradon for over a thousand years, building a dynasty that heaven couldn't shake._

 _Lorelei I, Queen of Auradon, married Lord Avery de Vil. They had twins, a son and a daughter (Prince Benjamin II and Crown Princess Helena)._

 _House Beaumont, the ruling house of Auradon, was made of Magic and chaos (Havoc) and was built with the blood and sweat and tears of Queen Mal and King Benjamin I._

 _And throughout history, the mantra of the Isle of the Lost remained true, held above all other rules._

 _ **Remember the Queen**_


End file.
